March 1998

Paris,
France March 23, 1998 Well, not quite Paris just yet, but the coundown
for Kim's marathon, which takes place in the French capital on Sunday
April 5th, is definitely on. Kim's training has gone well, and in the
last few weeks, she's completed three long 20 mile plus runs, and so
feels as prepared as she can be for the big day. Not much we can do
at this point except encourage her and keep her well fed in anticipation
of the day. Fortunately, we are all pasta lovers, so carbo loading is
not a hardship for any of us! Here are a couple of favourites which
I myself enjoyed at about the same time last year in preparation for
my cycle from Topsham to Venice.

Orecchiette
with Broccoli

This
recipe comes from Italy's Deep South, Apulia, the heel of the Italian
boot, and source of some of the tastiest (and least known) foods in
the country. More fertile and abundant than other impoverished southern
regions, Apulia is the source of outstanding vegetables and a unique
and undervalued vegetarian cuisine.Orecchiette
are small, handmade pasta shapes formed from hard durum wheat, water,
a little salt, and nothing else. They are, I've always told the kids,
actually boys' ears (well, they couldn't be girls' ears, could they.
Too tough). In Apulia, this pasta might be enjoyed with cima di
rape or turnip tops, but we find it delicious with broccoli, stewed
slowly in olive oil with the addition of a little dried peperoncino
to spice it up. Broccoli, incidentally, is considered one of the super-foods,
a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables that is reputed to
be a good protector against many forms of cancer. But we enjoy this
pasta simply because it tastes so good.Apulia,
once the source only of high-alcohol bulk wines destined for blending,
is now producing high-quality table wines that are outstanding value.
Try this pasta dish with a bottle of Cosimo Taurino's deep, rich Salice
Salentino.

1
lb broccoli

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

A generous dollop of extra virgin olive oil

A ladle or two of chicken or vegetable stock or broth

dried peperoncino or a fresh chopped chili pepper to taste

salt
and freshly ground pepper

1
lb orecchiette

Separate
the flowerets of broccoli, and boil in salted water until just tender.
Drain. Meanwhile, heat up a generous dollop of good extra virgin olive
oil in a wok or frying pan, and saute the garlic gently. Add the drained
broccoli, season with the peperoncino, salt and pepper, then
turn the heat to low, and allow to stew slowly. The broccoli should
break up and almost become a vegetable paste, mixed with the olive
oil, garlic and peperoncino mixture. If the mix becomes too
dry, then add a ladleful or two of chicken or vegetable stock. Meanwhile,
cook the orecchiette until al dente. Drain, then add
to the pan with the vegetable mixture. Turn flame to high, toss well,
then serve immediately with more peperoncino added to taste.

Wine
Suggestion The wines from Apulia rank with the most improved in
the country and the region is now the source of both modern, fresh
whites vinified using temperature controlled fermentation, as well
as hefty, traditional reds from the underrated Negroamaro grape. Try
this gutsy pasta dish with Cosimo Taurino's deep, liquoricey Salice
Salentino.

Maccheroni
coi ceci
(Maccaroni with Chickpeas)

Pasta
with chickpeas is an Italian classic that dates back probably to the
Ancient Roman era. The key to this excellent and filling carbo feast
is to cook down the chickpeas, then mash them with oil and garlic
so that they make a tasty, rather grainy-in-texture sauce to coat
the pasta. Delicious with a chilled tumbler of gutsy Frascati or Marino,
as served in those dark, subterranean drinking dens of the Colli Albani
outside of Rome.

Heat
the olive oil in a large saucepan or wok, and saute the chopped garlic,
chillies, and celery until soft. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas
and about a cup of the broth or stock and allow to simmer gently for
about an hour. Add more stock as necessary to keep the mixture fairly
liquid. When the chickpeas are nice and tender, mash coarsely (or
blend coarsely in a food processor) ensuring that you keep the texture
quite grainy. Add another cup of stock, and the greens, kale or cavolo
nero and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring
a large pot of salted water to the boil, and cook the maccaroni until
al dente. If the chickpea and cabbage mixture needs to be thinned,
add a ladle or two of pasta water. When done, drain the pasta and
add to the mixture, turn up the heat to fierce, and toss and mix well.
Serve immediately, probably without parmesan cheese.

Wine
Suggestion One of the best Frascati that you will find outside
of Rome is Antonio Pulcini's Colle Gaio Cru from the Colli di Catone
estate, a wine with outstanding depth of flavour and concentration.
If you can get ahold of a bottle, Paola di Mauro's superb Colle Picchioni
Rosso, made in nearby Marino, would also go well. Otherwise, try this
robust pasta dish with a full-flavoured Trebbiano d'Abruzzo or Montepulciano
d'Abruzzo if you prefer a red.